Bare Bones or Not, We're Excited about the Just5 Cell Phone

What does it mean when a couple of healthy 30-somethings get excited about a cell phone marketed to seniors and those with disabilities? No, it's not time to retire! We'd like to think that it simply means mobile manufacturers still don't know what some of us consumers want our phones to do -- make and receive calls. And that's it!

This is especially the case if you're like us and ditched your land line in the hopes of relying on your cell phone for all your communication needs. Unfortunately, while your new iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android may allow you to take high res photos, read RSS feeds, and download apps, trying to take a call is a whole other story -- especially if you're relying on AT&T's service. So, what if, all you really want it to make and take calls without all the extras?

It's getting harder and harder these days to find a mobile that's just a phone and only a phone. Ignoring the need to improve call quality, manufacturers have turned us all into text and email fiends, when sometimes picking up the phone can shave a ton of time off a task. Plus, we sit at a computer all day. The last thing we want to do when we're relaxing on the couch is to stare at the glow from a mini screen, typing on a even more mini keyboard. We wouldn't mind being able to catch up with friends, voice to voice, without talking over each other or having sections of conversations disappear.

Enter Just5. The phone, which comes to the states in about three months, is a simple cell that can send and receive calls and texts, and that's it. The oversized dial pad makes it easy to dial (or tap in a message) if you've got man hands, while Bluetooth allows it to pair up with a handsfree headset if that's you're thing. There's no word on whether or not you'll get better call quality due to the lack of other features, but you will have access to a louder than normal volume control. One thing we're pretty sure about: Steve Jobs won't tell you to hold your phone a certain way to get it to work.

Trying to find a bare bones phones is next to impossible these days, but here are a few we found that impressed us with their simplicity, thought their girth needs some slimming...